As I drove down the road in the new IS 350 I began to think how much I love the Japanese engineering that is Lexus. From smart key access to sound absorbing sun visors everything is what I have learned to appreciate in automobiles. No longer do you have to buy German to get style, performance and luxury wrapped up in a variety of styles. From the IS to the LX sport utility Lexus brings everything to the table at a price that keeps them relatively affordable.

With that said the Lexus engineers spent the last few years redesigning the IS into what I would consider one of the nicest mid-luxury sedans in the market. The new IS comes in two trim levels the 250 and the 350. The base price on the 250 is right at about $30,000 with a fully loaded 350 running around $47,000. The 250 is equipped with a 2.5 liter V6 with 204 h.p. while the 350 has a 3.5 liter V6 producing whopping 306 h.p. The 250 is available both as a rear wheel drive and an all-wheel drive. You also have a choice of transmissions on the 250, either a 6-speed automatic or as a manual. The 350 is available only as a rear wheel drive with a 6-speed auto transmission.

The power from the 3.5 liter V6 is excellent. Using direct-injection gasoline technology the motor produces a whopping 306 h.p. with 276 ft/lbs of torque and propels the sleek mid-size sedan from 0-60 in 5.3 seconds. Impressive for a five-seat sedan weighing in at 3435 lbs. The handling of the IS is tight and aggressive with plenty of forgiveness on bumps but rigid enough to handle even the tightest of turns.

The interior is an elaborate cockpit made up of fine quality materials and high-tech gadgetry. The seats are made of supple leather are 10 way adjustable and both ventilated and heated for your derrières comfort. Between the seats you find two cup-holders and ample storage for miscellaneous items. This flows up into your command central which includes a touch-screen display, satellite radio, voice-activated navigation and a Mark Levinson 300 watt stereo system which blasts crisply through 14 speakers. Other notable interior features include a back-up camera, Bluetooth technology, sound absorbing sun-visors, MP3/WMA port and electroluminescent gauges that accentuate the dash at night.

As with all Lexus models the safety features combine everything from re-enforced body panels to pre-collision monitoring system. The front mounted radar sensors monitors the distance and closing speed of a vehicle ahead. When the computer senses that a frontal collision is unavoidable, it tightens the front seatbelts and prepares the brake assist for increased braking force. In addition to this the IS is equipped with a multitude of airbags and vehicle stability control programs. When all is put into play it makes for one of the safest cars on the road. From safety to performance to style nothing was missed on this redesign of a new classic.